Why I Chose Grand Canyon University

Introduction

2026 is a year of firsts and lasts for me. In May, I will graduate from high school. In June, I get to vote for the first time. And on August 28th, I will go to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, for college as I report to the Army ROTC program. That choice to go there was not easy. And I should explain why.

Background

For those of you who may not know, I want to be a Chaplain in the US Army. I've felt called to enter ministry since my Freshman year of High School, but where I was to go has changed. Now, to become a Chaplain, you must:

1. Be a U.S. citizen by the time you commission as an Officer,
2. Not older than 42 years old at the time of commissioning,
3. Completed basic theological education for a denomination or faith tradition (often, the Master of Divinity degree),
4. And have completed at least two years of post-theological education professional experience in a denomination or faith tradition (active duty only).

Now I don't fully know how I'm going to complete that last one, but that's not the point of this blog post. To be able to get an MDiv, you have to go to a Christian University. To get commissioned as an officer, there are three routes: OCS, West Point, and ROTC. Now, I'm not enlisted and don't plan on enlisting, so OCS is out, and I'm not at the level needed to go to West Point, so ROTC is my option. And ROTC isn't offered at every school. And some have a cadre but train off-campus with another school. And my family and I are trying to avoid getting me a car for at least my first year. So not only did I require a Christian University, but also one with a fully on-site ROTC program.

Choosing College

Going into my Senior year and applying for colleges, I had Liberty University, Baylor University, and Colorado Christian University on my list. All met the initial requirements, but none of them had a fully on-site ROTC. Then, around Christmastime, I applied to GCU under pressure from my parents. I got accepted, and found out it was miles cheaper than any of the other colleges I was looking at. Soon, Baylor and Liberty fell off the list. The only reason CCU was still on was that my mom went there, and it was close to home. But after going to both CCU and GCU, I felt like GCU had a more vibrant campus, felt more like a college, and also had a fully on-site ROTC. Plus, they have a medieval combat club. If that's not cool, I don't know what is. So, after getting back from a Discover GCU weekend a couple of weeks ago, I am proud to announce that I will be attending Grand Canyon University this fall with a major in Christian Studies and an AROTC minor.